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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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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: fine · roll · pitcher · stand · prune · cell · race · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. fine — all right
  4. race — a contest
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cell — in biology
  7. race — humankind
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. roll — a list
  11. cell — a phone
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fine — high quality
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. race — the arms race

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