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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 116 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: bowl · ground · club · bear · pound · mate · court · land

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — a weight
  6. land — a country
  7. court — of law
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. club — for golf
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — a friend
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. land — to come down
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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