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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — in music
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — music
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. net — in sport
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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