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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. hand — help
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — the most important part
  11. vault — a safe
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cue — for pool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ball — a great time
  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