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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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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: ground · row · kick · board · leaves · pound · pass · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — in football
  4. row — a line
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pound — a weight
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ground — a position
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. toast — bread
  23. board — a committee
  24. ground — crushed

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