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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rule — a law
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pound — a weight
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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