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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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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: mark · bear · ground · toast · pit · game · pound · perch

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. toast — bread
  8. pit — a hole
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ground — crushed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — to put up with

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