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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cue — for pool
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pound — a weight
  14. drill — army training
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cue — a hint
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. season — of the year

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