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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. object — a thing
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bound — certain
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. cue — for pool

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