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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — in music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rush — hurry
  9. roll — a list
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — government
  17. roll — a cake
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rule — a law
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. last — final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. last — finally

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