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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pit — a hole
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — a measure
  8. swing — music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tear — from crying
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tear — to rip
  24. hide — to keep secret

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