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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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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: pop · leaves · ground · board · staff · pound · bulb · rush

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ground — a position
  21. pound — a weight
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — lets stay

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