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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pound — a weight
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. club — a group
  12. content — the amount
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — for pool
  16. club — for golf
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. face — to confront
  21. content — happy
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cue — a signal
  24. face — to point toward

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