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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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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: present · pitcher · ground · bore · scale · pound · field · club

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — a position
  6. bore — to tire
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — for sport
  12. scale — in music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. present — there
  15. field — a subject
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. club — for golf
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. field — farmland
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bore — to drill
  22. present — a gift
  23. club — a group
  24. pound — a weight

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