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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: pound · pitcher · leaves · root · ground · band · lean · bear

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lean — thin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ground — a position

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