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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. face — to point toward
  3. cue — for pool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — in golf
  6. face — to confront
  7. degree — an amount
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cue — a hint
  10. face — part of the head
  11. chip — to eat
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. swing — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — a signal

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