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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
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: kid · snap · spring · can · pound · rash · game · mark

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — a trace
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — of water
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — the season
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. snap — to click
  21. rash — a series
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. kid — to tease
  24. can — a tin

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