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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: land · stand · ball · rush · spring · trunk · cue · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spring — of water
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pound — a weight
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spring — the season
  15. land — ground
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — a coil
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cue — for pool
  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