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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pop — to visit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chip — to eat
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. pop — soda
  23. pound — a weight
  24. straw — a straw man

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