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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chip — for betting
  3. firm — steady
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bass — low music
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pop — to visit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. sharp — exactly

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