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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 116 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 · coach · wave · game · content · ground · band · calf

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. content — happy
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pound — a weight
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a ring
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. game — a match

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