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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: saw · date · pound · content · row · tube · swing · mug

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tube — the underground
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mug — a cup
  12. date — the fruit
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — to rob
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a face
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — to play on

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