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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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