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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: craft · lash · content · cue · game · fall · ground · pound

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. content — the amount
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cue — a hint
  8. ground — the earth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — a position
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fall — the season
  16. ground — crushed
  17. game — a match
  18. game — wild animals
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — happy
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cue — for pool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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