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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. cue — a signal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a music group
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. band — a ring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. pitch — completely
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stem — to come from

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