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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · pound · stick · cabinet · net · mine · squash · can

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. net — in sport
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. net — for catching
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. net — after costs

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