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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. bank — for money
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — child
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — a gift
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bank — of a river

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