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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — to get on
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — the underground
  20. board — a committee
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bat — in an idiom

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