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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — to bear
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a ring
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. suit — in cards
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — employees
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stand — for spectators

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