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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — a position
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — employees
  8. toast — bread
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. staff — employees
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cold — not warm
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ground — the earth
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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