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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spring — of water
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. field — farmland
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. staff — employees
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — a subject
  18. stand — to bear
  19. field — for sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — a permit

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