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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. object — an aim
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pop — soda
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. object — a thing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — to protest
  22. bound — certain
  23. bear — the animal
  24. shower — to wash

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