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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. march — music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. content — the amount
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — happy
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stand — on your feet

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