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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: pound · net · fan · rest · saw · racket · stand · wound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stand — to bear
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — a break
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — after costs

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