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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bat — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stand — to bear
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stand — on your feet

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