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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cue — for pool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — for catching
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. net — after costs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. net — in sport
  24. pound — for dogs

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