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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.

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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: hide · land · pound · stem · stick · pass · can · net

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. land — ground
  11. can — a tin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. net — after costs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — a permit
  23. net — for catching
  24. land — a country

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