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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ground — the earth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. board — to get on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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