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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · row · roll · pound · ground · rash · band · racket

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. rash — hasty
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. roll — a list
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rash — a series
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. roll — a cake
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. ground — crushed
  24. row — to paddle

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