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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: bear · content · kid · pound · pop · mark · row · rash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kid — to tease
  6. pop — soda
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pop — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. row — a line
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — a series

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