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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. staff — employees
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. content — the amount
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — child
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. squash — to crush
  16. content — happy
  17. roll — a list
  18. cue — for pool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cue — a signal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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