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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pop — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — a weight
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cell — in biology
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pop — to visit
  18. drill — army training
  19. craft — boats
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — a skill

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