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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: present · pop · object · wind · bound · jam · stand · foot

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. stand — to bear
  3. object — an aim
  4. pop — music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — to visit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — obliged
  10. foot — a measure
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — a gift
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. present — there
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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