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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. band — a ring
  3. can — to be able to
  4. band — a music group
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rash — hasty
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pound — a weight
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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