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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — newspapers
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. present — a gift
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — there
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. press — to push
  18. cue — a hint
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pound — a weight
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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