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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a ring
  6. cue — a hint
  7. degree — an amount
  8. band — a music group
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — crushed
  19. degree — from a university
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — temperature
  22. sharp — clever
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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