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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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