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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 · band · calf · plane · ground · saw · present · root

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pound — a weight
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — of a plant
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — the cause
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ground — a position
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — a gift

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