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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — clever
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. game — wild animals
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — a match
  16. object — to protest
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — a thing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — an aim
  24. fine — all right

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