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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bass — low music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. hand — help
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bass — the fish
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — music
  19. can — to be able to
  20. clip — a video
  21. pop — soda
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cue — a hint
  24. clip — for paper

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