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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: wake · swing · ground · mate · jam · pound · bay · foot

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — a trail
  11. swing — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ground — the earth
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bay — a horse colour

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