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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. net — in sport
  5. rash — a series
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. net — after costs
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — a weight

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