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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: fine · mark · ball · squash · spring · stand · rock · pound

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fine — all right
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spring — a coil
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ball — a dance
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pound — to hit hard

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