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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ground — the earth
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — to come down

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