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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rock — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. race — a contest
  11. bark — to shout
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cue — for pool
  22. race — humankind
  23. staff — employees
  24. cue — a signal

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