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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a path
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. kid — to tease
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kid — child
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. season — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pound — to hit hard

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