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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: stand · can · cold · pop · fine · deal · racket · club

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fine — high quality
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. club — a group
  16. pop — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for dancing

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