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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cue — for pool
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. date — the fruit
  18. present — the time now
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of a king
  24. date — on the calendar

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