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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 116 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: pop · ground · stick · mate · season · race · present · wave

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — there
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pop — music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. present — the time now
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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