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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  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. bank — for money
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bass — low music
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — a weight
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. current — of water
  18. kick — in football
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. kick — a thrill
  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