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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · hide · jam · pound · fine · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fine — all right
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. jam — in traffic

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