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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — soda
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. track — a song
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — a path
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — on a finger

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