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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — from crying
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. chair — a leader
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. club — for golf
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tear — to rip

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