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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rule — government
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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