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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — for a lock
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — clever
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pitch — completely

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