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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — a signal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — the sport
  13. last — final
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. cue — for pool
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. ball — a great time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — to go on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. squash — the vegetable

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