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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. present — there
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. tube — a container
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. firm — a company
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. present — a gift
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — a permit
  23. sharp — clever
  24. present — the time now

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