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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. ground — a position
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a line
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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