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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · track · chip · staff · stand · land

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. pound — a weight
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — for betting
  11. land — ground
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — to eat
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. land — a country
  17. staff — employees
  18. pound — to hit hard

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