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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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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: deal · lean · game · bass · rest · stand · pound · cell

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. lean — thin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pound — a weight
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. rest — a break
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bass — low music
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pound — for dogs

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