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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ground — a position
  3. band — a music group
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. band — a ring
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. chip — for betting
  18. ground — crushed
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — to bear
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chip — to eat

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