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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: ball · rock · cap · toast · pound · tube · can · trunk

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. can — a tin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pound — a weight
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. tube — a container
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rock — a stone

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