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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. race — a contest
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cue — for pool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bowl — to roll

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