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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. object — to protest
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — shares
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — army training
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — the tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stock — goods
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. object — a thing
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pound — to hit hard

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