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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: stick · chair · pound · march · track · kick · net · foot

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. net — for catching
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — in football
  14. net — after costs
  15. track — a path
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — to keep track
  18. march — the month
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. net — in sport
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a song

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