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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — for pool
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. object — an aim
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — a hint
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — of your body

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