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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 120 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: wave · pound · track · court · stand · can · pit · land

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. track — a song
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pit — a hole
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. land — to come down
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. land — ground
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — a country

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