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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a signal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — happy
  19. bark — to shout
  20. content — the amount
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cue — a hint

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