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

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. march — the month
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. charge — a price
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. object — to protest
  15. roll — a cake
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — in control
  18. object — a thing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. roll — a list
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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