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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · squash · pound · present · band · object · charge · saw

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — the time now
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ground — a position
  7. charge — a price
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. band — a ring
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pound — a weight
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. present — there
  17. band — a music group
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ground — the earth
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. object — to protest
  23. charge — electricity
  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