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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cue — a signal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spell — letters
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — a position
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cue — for pool

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