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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — bread
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. object — a thing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to click
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. object — to protest
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — a hint
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. foot — part of the body

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