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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: pound · ground · bear · leaves · foot · rush · mug · march

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — a position
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mug — a cup
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pound — a weight
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — music

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