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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pop — soda
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  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