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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 120 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: rush · pound · calf · ground · bass · mug · deal · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a face
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — to get on
  24. calf — a young animal

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