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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 120 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: pitcher · fine · row · content · trunk · mouse · can · pound

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. content — the amount
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — a tin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. row — a line
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mouse — the animal

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