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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: pound · stand · lie · lash · bass · cap · court · current

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — electric
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. current — of water
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bass — the fish
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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