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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. field — for sport
  3. pound — a weight
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rule — government
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — a law
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to click
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. field — a subject
  24. rule — to rule out

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