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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cue — for pool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — of ice
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pound — a weight
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. court — of a king
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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