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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — a weight
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cue — for pool
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — a tin

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