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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cue — a hint
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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