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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. land — to come down
  14. field — for sport
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pound — a weight
  20. field — a subject
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. field — farmland
  23. land — a country
  24. row — a line

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