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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spring — the season
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. field — a subject
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. field — for sport
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pound — a weight
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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