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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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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: pound · land · pitch · ruler · cap · mouse · present · tube

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — to come down
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tube — a container
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. present — there
  14. tube — the underground
  15. land — a country
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — in a tire

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