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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. capital — money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pop — soda
  15. capital — a city
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pop — music
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cue — a signal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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