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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — a group
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. object — to protest
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. club — for dancing
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bark — to shout
  18. object — a thing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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