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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. staff — employees
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. last — final
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. staff — a stick

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