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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — a series
  15. fine — all right
  16. charge — a price
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bat — the animal
  19. charge — in control
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chip — for betting
  24. perch — for a bird

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