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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: stick · ground · pound · nail · season · board · rock · bat

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — music
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — a position
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pound — a weight
  14. board — a committee
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ground — crushed
  20. season — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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