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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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Word bank
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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: straw · pound · rock · cue · foot · cabinet · fan · date

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cue — for pool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — ministers

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