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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. net — in sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — after costs
  14. cue — a hint
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. net — for catching
  21. fork — in a road
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pass — to succeed
  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