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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: foot · bear · pound · rest · fall · club

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — the season
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pound — a weight
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bear — the animal
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. club — for golf

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