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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. pound — a weight
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cue — a hint
  20. field — farmland
  21. staff — a stick
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cue — for pool
  24. staff — employees

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