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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. file — a tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. cue — for pool
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rule — a law
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rule — government
  12. file — a document
  13. snap — to click
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bear — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bear — the animal
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cue — a hint
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — for dogs

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