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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — a signal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fork — in a road
  24. sharp — exactly

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