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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ground — a position
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — for pool
  19. ground — the earth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. key — for a lock
  24. nail — on a finger

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