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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pound — a weight
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — for catching
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. net — after costs
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. net — in sport
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rash — a series
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of a tree

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