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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 · coach · can · hand · present · tube · mug · pitch

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — completely
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. hand — help
  12. present — there
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. present — a gift
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tube — a container
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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