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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: dip · season · mark · pound · bear · content · ground · net

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. net — in sport
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. ground — crushed
  13. content — happy
  14. net — after costs
  15. season — of the year
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. content — the amount
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — to put up with

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