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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bound — certain
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. kick — in football
  21. chip — for betting
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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