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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: branch · pitcher · bear · ground · coach · sharp · pound · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. branch — a division
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ground — the earth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — 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