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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cue — a signal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — a committee
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bear — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. board — to get on

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