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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — for money

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