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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. degree — temperature
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bat — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. fine — all right
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. degree — an amount
  23. pound — a weight
  24. fine — high quality

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