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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: bay · rule · sharp · nail · ground · cell · cue · pound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — a hint
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rule — government
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cell — in biology
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rule — a law
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — a position
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cell — a phone

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