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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: kick · ground · march · object · pound · safe · fan · bay

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — the earth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. object — an aim
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. march — the month
  19. object — a thing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. object — to protest
  23. march — music
  24. pound — to hit hard

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