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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — to rob
  5. season — in sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a face
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — of the year
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mate — to breed
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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