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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fine — all right
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. racket — for tennis

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