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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. swing — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mate — a partner
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — to crush
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mark — a trace
  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