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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. file — a tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cue — a hint

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