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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fork — in a road
  7. spring — the season
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — of water
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spring — a coil
  23. capital — a city
  24. fork — a garden tool

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