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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. face — to confront
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ground — a position
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bass — low music
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pound — a weight

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