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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: pound · ground · mouse · season · nail · roll · net · land

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. net — after costs
  11. season — in sport
  12. land — a country
  13. roll — a list
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — a weight
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — to come down
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. net — in sport
  24. roll — a cake

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