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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. sharp — clever
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — in a race
  16. key — in music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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