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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — soda
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — a partner

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