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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cell — in biology
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chip — for betting

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