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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. degree — an amount
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pound — a weight
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. toast — bread
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. degree — temperature

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