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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pound — a weight
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. track — to keep track
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. toast — bread
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bound — obliged
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — of water
  16. ground — the earth
  17. track — a song
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ground — a position
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. track — a path
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — for dogs

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