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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: sharp · bay · pound · hand · ground · roll · squash · jam

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ground — a position
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pound — a weight
  12. roll — a list
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. roll — a cake
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. ground — crushed
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. squash — the vegetable

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