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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cue — a signal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cue — a hint
  9. march — the month
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bass — the fish
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. spell — letters
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bass — low music

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