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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pound — a weight
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. present — a gift
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — to visit
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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