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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — in control
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — to shout
  19. charge — a price
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. charge — electricity

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