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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: club · ground · last · current · foot · ball · patient · pound

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. current — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — for golf
  13. pound — a weight
  14. club — for dancing
  15. last — finally
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. last — to go on
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ground — a position
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — final
  22. current — electric
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. club — a group

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