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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — a box
  14. can — to be able to
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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