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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a ring
  13. present — the time now
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — the month
  16. band — a music group
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. present — there
  20. roll — a list
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. roll — on a roll

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