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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cue — for pool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. march — the month

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