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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cue — for pool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cue — a hint
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. scale — in music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cue — a signal

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