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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: roll · pound · land · wake · cabinet · pitcher · tear · pass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — a country
  18. roll — a list
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. land — ground
  22. roll — a cake
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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