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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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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: fork · pass · can · pound · pop · bat · root · file

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — of a word
  5. file — a document
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. can — to be able to
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pop — music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. root — the cause
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. file — a line of people

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