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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: can · sharp · tear · net · spell · pound · pit · rock

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — magic
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spell — letters
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rock — a stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — a weight
  24. net — for catching

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