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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: pound · stand · ruler · tube · straw · mark · key · date

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — the underground
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — in music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — for spectators

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