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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — clothes
  5. roll — a list
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a hint
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cold — an illness
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bore — to tire
  24. sharp — exactly

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