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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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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: rock · rush · race · bowl · ground · pound · leaves · mark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a grade
  4. race — humankind
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ground — a position
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rush — hurry
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rock — music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pound — a weight
  23. race — a contest
  24. bowl — to roll

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