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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. pop — soda
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. band — a music group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stock — goods
  18. chip — for betting
  19. cap — of ice
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pop — music

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