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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — to keep track
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. scale — in music
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — a grade

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