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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mate — a partner
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pop — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pop — to visit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pop — soda

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