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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pitch — completely
  8. field — a subject
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. season — of the year
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. season — in sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tear — to rip

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