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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: mouse · stand · wake · present · club · net · land · fall

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. net — for catching
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — a group
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — after costs
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fall — the season
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. wake — a trail
  24. land — ground

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