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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cell — in biology
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — a subject
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — farmland
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — to fit
  24. field — for sport

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