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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — a country
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. last — to go on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. last — finally
  18. land — ground
  19. last — final
  20. land — to come down
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  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