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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: rock · can · fork · pitcher · pound · clip · spring · mug

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. clip — to cut
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. pound — a weight
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fork — in a road
  17. clip — a video
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rock — music

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