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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fine — all right
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — in cards

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