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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: lash · bay · spell · net · pitcher · pound · fork · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — magic
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — in sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. net — for catching
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lash — an eyelash

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