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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mate — a friend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cue — for pool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pit — a hole
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cue — a signal
  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