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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. spell — magic
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spell — letters

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