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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: band · clip · cue · net · fan · mate · pound · mouse

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. net — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — for paper
  13. band — a ring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a music group
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — a video
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mate — to breed
  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