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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — the tool
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. net — for catching
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — to confront
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — to breed
  23. capital — a city
  24. cue — a signal

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