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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. season — of the year
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — for catching
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. net — after costs
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — in sport

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