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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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — government
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — army training
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — for pool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. sharp — clever
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — to hit hard

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