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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 120 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: stand · dip · pound · bark · foot · bowl · straw · saw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pound — a weight
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stand — to bear
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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