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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — decided
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a document
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — a company
  14. scale — in music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bound — tied together
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fall — the season
  24. bound — certain

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