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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — low music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — a friend

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