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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rock — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — help
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. hand — in cards
  19. deal — to handle
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — high quality
  22. field — farmland
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. fine — a penalty

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