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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — to sink
  13. toast — bread
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to bend
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — for a hammer

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