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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. track — a song
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — the cause
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. root — of a word
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — to bear
  21. key — in music
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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