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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 116 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 · rock · row · capital · pound · nail · racket · pop

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. capital — money
  5. row — to paddle
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. capital — a city
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. nail — on a finger

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