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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. row — a line
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. current — electric
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — a kind of play

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