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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.

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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: mug · pound · game · fine · pit · can · ground · march

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — a match
  4. ground — crushed
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pit — a hole
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. march — music
  13. mug — a cup
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — a face
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — to rob
  18. can — to be able to
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — all right

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