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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 · lean · bore · game · cell · bark · foot

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. game — a match
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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