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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — the time now
  17. kid — child
  18. cue — for pool
  19. content — happy
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — the cause
  23. rock — music
  24. present — a gift

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