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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. cue — a signal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. game — wild animals
  13. band — a music group
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. firm — steady
  17. game — a match
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — for pool

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