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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — low music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — to eat
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to confront
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to point toward

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