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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 120 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: ball · pound · rock · staff · game · stand · branch · row

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — to bear
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. row — a line
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — to paddle
  24. branch — of a tree

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