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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. pound — a weight
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. march — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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