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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — a weight
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fine — high quality
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — to handle
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — all right
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ball — a dance
  24. deal — a big deal

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