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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. drill — the tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — a country
  20. pound — a weight
  21. drill — army training
  22. club — for dancing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. sharp — exactly

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