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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. key — in music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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