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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 116 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: pound · clip · firm · bark · leaves · bay · stand · ruler

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pound — a weight
  6. clip — a video
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stand — to bear
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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