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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 116 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: content · pitcher · trunk · pound · ground · wave · cap · press

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. content — the amount
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — to push
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cap — a lid
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. press — newspapers

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