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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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. court — for sport
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — a series
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. court — of law
  16. rash — hasty
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stand — to bear
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. court — of a king

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