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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. swing — music
  6. firm — decided
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — in music
  10. firm — steady
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — in golf
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. scale — size or range
  19. firm — a company
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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