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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.

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: pop · current · pitch · cold · rash · bear · pound · dip

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 — soda
  2. rash — hasty
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rash — a series
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — to visit
  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