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

Word bank: cue · pound · board · calf · cap · kid · sharp · tube

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — a container
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. kid — child
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — the underground
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cap — a hat

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