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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. suit — to fit
  8. present — there
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — the time now
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — for money
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bank — for money

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