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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: rash · leaves · present · fan · pound · deal · chest · stock

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. present — a gift
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — shares
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stock — goods
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — there
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chest — of your body

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