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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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Word bank
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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: fine · cell · pound · ground · rest · stick

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. 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