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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. field — for sport
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — a subject
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — the amount
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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