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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a document
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. firm — a company
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — soda
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a tool

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