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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. last — final
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — a path
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pound — a weight
  11. charge — in control
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. track — a song
  17. last — finally
  18. charge — a price
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. track — to keep track

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