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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: net · stand · rule · date · sharp · bear · pound · trunk

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. sharp — clever
  6. net — in sport
  7. rule — government
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. net — after costs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rule — a law
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of a car

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