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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: dip · row · mate · file · stand · deal · pound · season

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mate — to breed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. file — a line of people
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — in sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — to paddle
  11. file — a document
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. deal — to handle
  17. row — a line
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a tool
  20. mate — a friend
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. dip — to sink
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pound — to hit hard

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