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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. content — happy
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. last — final
  6. last — to go on
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. last — finally
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — to eat
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — gave birth

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