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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ground — a position
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ground — the earth
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. season — of the year
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ground — crushed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a song
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — a path
  24. cell — in a prison

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