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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pound — a weight
  3. club — for dancing
  4. face — part of the head
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. face — to point toward
  11. chip — to eat
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ground — crushed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — to confront
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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