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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: ground · pop · rule · deal · wake · mate · nail · pound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — government
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rule — a law
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pop — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — to handle

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