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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. capital — a city
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — decided
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pound — a weight
  21. firm — steady
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — a big letter

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