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

Word bank: pitcher · bowl · cap · rule · hide · pound

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — a weight

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