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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: pound · deal · squash · date · bear · bound · ground · season

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. season — in sport
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bound — obliged
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bound — certain
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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