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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a tool
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ground — a position

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