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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — happening now
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — of water
  5. tear — to rip
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — a box
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — a hint
  13. stock — goods
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. tear — from crying
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stock — shares
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rush — to hurry

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