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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. chip — for betting
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. chip — to eat
  8. march — the month
  9. charge — in control
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — electricity
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stock — shares
  21. march — the month
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. chip — in a computer
  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