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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — in music
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. key — for a lock
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. land — to come down

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