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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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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: ground · sharp · can · club · stand · march · bay · foot

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. ground — a position
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ground — crushed
  13. can — a tin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. club — a group
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ground — the earth
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — music
  24. can — a tin

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