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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — for pool
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. kick — in football
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — in music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. sharp — clever
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cue — a hint

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