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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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468
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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. snap — to click
  4. pop — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. tube — a container
  7. pop — soda
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — a weight
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. tube — the underground
  19. game — a match
  20. pop — to visit
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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