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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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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: deal · firm · race · ground · pound · cap · mug · land

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mug — a face
  6. race — a contest
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mug — a cup
  12. firm — steady
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — a country
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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