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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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bore — to tire
  3. firm — a company
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. capital — money
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — steady
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — a city
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. firm — decided
  23. bat — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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