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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 120 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 · root · patient · craft · band · ground · foot · season

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. band — a ring
  3. season — of the year
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. root — the cause
  13. season — in sport
  14. root — of a word
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. craft — boats
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. foot — a measure
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a plant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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