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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.

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: fall · pound · land · spring · present · racket · march · hide

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. march — the month
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fall — the season
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. present — a gift
  7. spring — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. present — the time now
  14. march — music
  15. present — there
  16. land — a country
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — ground
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spring — the season
  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