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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — a trail
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pop — soda
  17. content — the amount
  18. cap — a hat
  19. content — happy
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — a lid

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