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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · snap · sharp · stick · cue · club · board · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a signal
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — clever
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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