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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: pound · stand · trunk · fork · cabinet · jam · staff · field

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. field — for sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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