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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: pound · march · pit · stand · root · fine · game · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. root — of a plant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. root — the cause
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — the month
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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