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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bound — certain
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. scale — in music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cell — a phone
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — a leader

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