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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. drill — army training
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cue — a signal
  9. snap — to click
  10. cold — an illness
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cue — a hint
  13. drill — a practice
  14. board — to get on
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cold — not warm
  19. board — a committee
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bowl — a dish

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