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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — happy
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mate — to breed
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. content — the amount
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. rock — music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chair — a leader
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cue — a hint
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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