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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cue — a hint
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — to bear
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. firm — decided
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pound — a weight
  18. land — to come down
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. land — a country
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — a company
  23. season — of the year
  24. mark — a trace

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