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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. present — there
  6. content — happy
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. present — a gift
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. object — to protest
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — a thing
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — the amount
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. object — an aim
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — to eat

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