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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. toast — bread
  6. spell — magic
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — the fish
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. spell — letters
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. net — for catching
  14. sharp — clever
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — a short time

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