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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rule — government
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cue — for pool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rule — a law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mate — a partner
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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