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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — a weight
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — happy
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rush — a thrill

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