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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pop — music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — a signal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cap — a lid
  24. snap — to click

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