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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. land — ground
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tube — a container

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