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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — a weight
  4. clip — a video
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. clip — to cut
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — a leader
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. current — electric
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ground — a position
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. clip — for paper

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