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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: wind · pass · pound · foot · stand · date · key · deal

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. key — for a lock
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wind — moving air

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