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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: mine · ground · suit · pound · game · roll · trunk · fan

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — crushed
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. roll — a cake
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ground — a position
  24. roll — a list

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