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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · jam · can · cabinet · perch · pitcher · pitch · temple

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cabinet — ministers

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