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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — to eat
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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