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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 · wake · hand · last · racket · bass · stand · charge

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. charge — in control
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — low music
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. hand — help
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — a price
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — on your feet

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