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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · club · stick · ground · present · pound

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. present — a gift
  3. club — a group
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — a position
  6. club — for golf
  7. present — the time now
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — a stone
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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