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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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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: stem · pop · last · pound · ball · object · land · ground

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pop — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. last — finally
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — to go on
  11. land — a country
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. object — an aim
  15. land — to come down
  16. ball — a dance
  17. last — final
  18. object — a thing
  19. pop — to visit
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — a position
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. land — ground
  24. ground — crushed

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