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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — to fit
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — army training
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. chest — a box
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mine — for digging
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chest — of your body

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