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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — a hint
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cue — a signal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. key — the most important part
  20. can — a tin
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. key — in music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — to hit hard

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