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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: tube · mate · pound · current · stand · cell · racket · face

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stand — to bear
  3. face — to confront
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mate — a friend
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cell — in biology
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — electric
  14. cell — a phone
  15. current — happening now
  16. face — part of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. racket — for tennis

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