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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: last · pound · racket · board · can · mine · stick · pop

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. board — a committee
  3. last — to go on
  4. pound — a weight
  5. last — final
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — to get on
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. can — a tin
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. racket — a loud noise

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