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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · spell · mug · bear · mine · march · fan

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — magic
  4. mug — a face
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — a weight
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

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