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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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 — for dogs
  2. land — a country
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — electric
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — of water
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — of law
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — for sport
  23. land — ground
  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