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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. field — a subject
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. season — in sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — for sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. pound — to hit hard

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