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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. drill — the tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. file — a tool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. drill — a practice
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. charge — electricity
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. drill — army training
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a document
  24. cue — a signal

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