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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: bore · rash · deal · fan · patient · stand · pound · season

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. season — of the year
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — a series
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. season — in sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bore — to tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rash — hasty

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