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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. scale — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pop — music
  6. deal — to handle
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. pop — to visit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cue — for pool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pop — soda
  19. content — happy
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. band — a ring
  22. cue — a signal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com