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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: spring · chip · band · pound · ground · nail · fall · scale

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — a position
  6. spring — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fall — to drop
  11. band — a ring
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spring — the season
  15. pound — a weight
  16. scale — in music
  17. fall — the season
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fall — to drop

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