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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 124 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. swing — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cue — a hint
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. stem — of a plant

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