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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: pound · mine · cue · mouse · stick · court · content · rest

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — for sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — the amount
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — for pool
  23. court — of law
  24. content — videos and posts

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