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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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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: rest · band · drill · chip · jam · stand · fork · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a ring
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a music group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. drill — army training
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — to eat
  24. jam — in traffic

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