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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. key — for a lock
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — finally
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — to protest
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — to bear
  17. march — music
  18. key — in music
  19. march — the month
  20. game — a match
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — final
  24. march — the month

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