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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bark — to shout
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rule — government
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chip — for betting
  23. club — a group
  24. chip — in a computer

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