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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · cue · sharp · pound · game · mate · stem · stick

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a match
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. cue — a hint
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — wild animals
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mate — a partner

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