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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — a weight

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