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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pound — a weight
  7. field — a subject
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — farmland
  11. kick — in football
  12. file — a line of people
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a dance
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — high quality
  23. can — a tin
  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