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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — for sport
  8. drill — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. drill — army training
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. court — of law
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pound — a weight
  17. court — of a king
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. deal — to handle

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