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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cue — a signal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pop — music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pop — to visit

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