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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fork — a garden tool

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