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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: leaves · ground · pound · calf · mark · content · racket · craft

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — boats
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pound — a weight
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — of a tree

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