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

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — to wash
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. foot — a measure
  20. shower — rain
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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