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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: pound · band · spring · lean · present · can · ground · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. can — a tin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. club — a group
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. band — a ring
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — a gift
  12. spring — the season
  13. present — there
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. band — a music group
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — a weight
  18. present — the time now
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lean — thin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. can — to be able to

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