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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cue — a signal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — in sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chip — to eat
  19. band — a ring
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. racket — for tennis

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