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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: lean · patient · ground · stand · game · bat · pound · suit

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — crushed
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. game — a match
  16. pound — a weight
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — to rest against

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