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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: stand · scale · object · suit · pound · rash · spring · leaves

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — in cards
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — of water
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — a thing
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spring — the season
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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