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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. field — farmland
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — of a river
  16. kid — child
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — for money
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. firm — steady
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — for sport

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