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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cue — a signal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pass — a permit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — to crush
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stand — to bear

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