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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bass — the fish
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — in sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pound — for dogs

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