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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — to bear
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — to get on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cue — for pool
  14. roll — a list
  15. cell — a phone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — in a prison
  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