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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. can — a tin
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — there
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. can — a tin
  16. chip — to eat
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — a gift
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pound — for dogs

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