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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — a song
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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