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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · court · pound · can · staff · spring · pop · wax

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. court — of law
  9. staff — employees
  10. can — a tin
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. court — of a king
  18. spring — of water
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pop — music
  24. dip — to dunk

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