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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cue — for pool
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bark — to shout
  16. suit — clothes
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bark — of a tree

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