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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. present — there
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — for spectators

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