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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: pound · toast · suit · bear · can · cold · tube · rule

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — a container
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rule — government
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rule — a law
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. toast — bread
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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