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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: club · mark · tear · mug · scale · game · stand · pound

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. club — for golf
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a face
  7. mark — a trace
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — for dancing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stand — to bear
  14. game — wild animals
  15. club — a group
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — in music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — to rob
  20. game — a match
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mug — a cup

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