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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wind — moving air
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — for pool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pit — a hole
  19. charge — in control
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wind — moving air
  24. charge — a price

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