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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: sharp · cue · game · pound · saw · mug · board · perch

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. board — to get on
  3. mug — a face
  4. sharp — clever
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cue — for pool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pound — a weight
  17. board — a committee
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pound — for dogs

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