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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. date — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — for pool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — the earth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. ground — a position
  20. charge — in control
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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