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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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Word bank
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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: roll · sharp · game · ball · fork · cue · key · lean

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. cue — a hint
  10. roll — a list
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. key — in music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ball — a great time
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a dance
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. game — a match
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — a kind of play

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