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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — for digging
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pound — a weight
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. toast — bread
  10. track — a song
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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