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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rule — a law
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — to turn a key

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