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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. track — a song
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. band — a music group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fall — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a ring
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — a leader
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bear — to put up with

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