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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: pound · firm · face · mate · pop · cue · rule · saw

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. firm — steady
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — soda
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — a law
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rule — government
  22. firm — a company
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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