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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bass — low music
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cold — not warm
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — a hint
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pound — a weight
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

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