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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. file — a line of people
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — to bear
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators

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