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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · stand · file · land · lean · can · key · racket

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pound — a weight
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. key — in music
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lean — to bend
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. file — a document
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. file — a tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — for a lock

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