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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: scale · ground · bowl · pound · face · stand · trunk · mine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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