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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. capital — money
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. sharp — exactly

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