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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. court — for sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of a king
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. court — of law
  23. bat — the animal
  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