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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: ground · toast · leaves · calf · drill · march · pound · bear

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. march — the month
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. ground — a position
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — lets stay

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