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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. clip — to cut
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. clip — for paper
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cue — for pool
  14. current — happening now
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. clip — a video
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — to bear

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