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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. race — a contest
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. race — the arms race
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — soda
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — hurry
  14. race — humankind
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. march — 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