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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: pound · face · pit · bowl · tear · pop

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tear — to rip
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — a dish

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