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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cue — for pool
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. root — of a word
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of law
  9. tube — a container
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — of a king
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. root — of a plant
  16. court — for sport
  17. tube — the underground
  18. root — the cause
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — for digging
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — a committee

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