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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 · mate · can · drill · mark · season · straw · pound

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. stand — to bear
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pound — a weight
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a trace
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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