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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — there
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chip — for betting
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. present — a gift
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cell — in a prison

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