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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · pound · rush · net · stand · bulb · clip · staff

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. staff — employees
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. clip — a video
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. net — after costs

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