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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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468
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: hide · object · pound · rash · pop · fork · swing · can

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — soda
  11. can — to be able to
  12. swing — in golf
  13. object — to protest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — a thing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pound — a weight
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rash — a series
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pound — for dogs

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