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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 124 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: stand · clip · leaves · ground · cabinet · rash · fork · pound

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rash — a series
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. clip — to cut
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. clip — a video
  20. ground — a position
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — to eat with

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