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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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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: club · ground · spell · sharp · bank · lean · pound · mark

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. spell — letters
  5. lean — thin
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — a group
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bank — for money
  24. spell — magic

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