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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. capital — money
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — a city
  23. rest — a break
  24. rash — on the skin

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