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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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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: can · pound · band · spring · fork · foot

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. spring — the season
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. spring — of water
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a music group
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body

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