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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: squash · foot · cabinet · cold · stick · date · bay · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cold — an illness
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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