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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: spring · cap · pound · racket · ground · tube · board · mug

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ground — the earth
  3. tube — a container
  4. spring — the season
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — to get on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — a cup
  24. board — a committee

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