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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: ground · season · pound · safe · pop · club · mate · scale

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ground — a position
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. pop — to visit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. club — a group
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — of the year
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. season — in sport

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