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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — to come down
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — ground
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cue — a hint
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. land — a country
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — to breed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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