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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: pound · ruler · kid · court · pitcher · spring · wave · can

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. court — of a king
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. kid — to tease

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