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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: spring · last · pound · face · ball · squash · can · pop

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. face — to confront
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a dance
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — the season
  10. face — to point toward
  11. last — final
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. last — to go on
  17. pop — music
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pound — a weight
  22. spring — of water
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — finally

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