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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.

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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: stand · pound · bowl · firm · key · pit · prune · game

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — a match
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — for a lock
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. key — in music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stand — to bear
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a dish

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