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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: present · cold · sharp · pound · can · fine · tube · mug

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. present — the time now
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. tube — a container
  8. mug — a face
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pound — a weight
  14. tube — the underground
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. can — a tin
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. can — to be able to
  22. present — there
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — an illness

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