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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. track — a song
  9. shower — to wash
  10. track — to keep track
  11. shower — rain
  12. cell — a phone
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — a tin
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — a path
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — for betting

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