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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. band — a music group
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cold — an illness
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. band — a ring

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