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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — the earth
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — a position
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. last — to go on
  12. toast — bread
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. last — final
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pound — a weight
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — finally

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