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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: calf · ground · file · pass · present · jam · pound · track

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. ground — a position
  4. file — a line of people
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a document
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a tool
  10. track — a song
  11. present — there
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. track — a path
  16. pass — a permit
  17. track — to keep track
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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