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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cue — for pool
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bowl — to roll

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