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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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468
Word bank
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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. land — to come down
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. land — a country
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. land — ground
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. roll — a cake

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