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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. craft — boats
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. object — to protest
  13. craft — a skill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cue — for pool
  17. roll — a list
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chair — a leader
  20. object — an aim
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cue — a hint

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