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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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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitch — completely
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mug — a face
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. can — a tin
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. content — happy
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — a cup
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — to be able to
  24. fall — the season

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