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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  24. calf — a young animal

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