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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rest — a break
  3. cue — for pool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. present — there
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — a hint
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to confront
  24. jam — in traffic

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