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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — what's left
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — a hint
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — a cake
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. board — to get on
  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