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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. firm — decided
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — to come down
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — a country
  13. mug — to rob
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bat — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. season — in sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. land — ground
  24. mug — a face

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