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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cell — a phone
  3. content — the amount
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cell — in biology
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. land — ground
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. land — a country
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rule — government
  20. last — to go on
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — happy

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