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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. firm — a company
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. stem — to come from
  13. staff — a stick
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — in sport
  18. staff — employees

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