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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: ground · calf · bulb · bass · hand · mark · charge · pound

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ground — a position
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. charge — in control
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a trace
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a grade
  20. ground — the earth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — low music
  24. calf — a young animal

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