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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. swing — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. stock — shares
  19. content — happy
  20. swing — in golf
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. stock — goods
  24. tear — from crying

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