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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: mine · pound · dip · bulb · fork · hand · stand · net

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stand — to bear
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — in sport
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — for catching
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — to sink
  20. net — after costs
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bulb — for light

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