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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: rule · field · clip · stand · straw · rush · roll · pound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. stand — to bear
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. roll — a list
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. field — for sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — a law
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — farmland
  24. roll — a cake

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