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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: content · dip · swing · stand · present · pound

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. content — happy
  11. swing — music
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pound — a weight
  16. swing — in golf
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce

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