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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: land · pound · bark · ground · lean · cabinet · pass · fine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fine — all right
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fine — high quality
  14. land — a country
  15. lean — thin
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. ground — the earth

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