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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cue — a signal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. shower — rain
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — a lid
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — on your feet

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