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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mug — a face
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pound — a weight
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. nail — on a finger

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