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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stem — to come from
  4. staff — a stick
  5. game — a match
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — a signal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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