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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — the fish
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. drill — a practice
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bass — low music
  13. band — a music group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — army training
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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