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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — in music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — the animal

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