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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 124 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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. stand — to bear
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — in music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — in a tire

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