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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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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: pitcher · pound · can · mine · fork · bay · rash · content

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — the amount
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. content — happy
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — hasty

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