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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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. net — in sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. net — after costs
  16. date — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chest — a box

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