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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 116 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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. tube — the underground
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. squash — to crush
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — clever
  22. swing — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — in a tire

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