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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cue — a hint
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chair — a leader
  8. shower — rain
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a hole
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. drill — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cue — a signal

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