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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. board — a committee
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cap — a lid
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — of ice
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pop — soda
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — music

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