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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — army training
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cue — a hint
  7. drill — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. pop — soda
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — a signal
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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