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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — a publisher
  3. club — for golf
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chip — for betting
  12. row — to paddle
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wake — a trail
  20. cap — a hat
  21. press — to push
  22. row — a line
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — to hit hard

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