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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: clip · pound · rash · fork · can · bay · tube · fine

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fine — all right
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. clip — a video
  14. pound — a weight
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rash — a series
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. clip — for paper

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