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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cue — for pool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cell — a phone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hand — in cards
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — help
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cue — a signal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — with an edge

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