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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 · cap · pop · rush · hide · fork · bass · bulb

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cap — of ice

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