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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · pit · pound · club · can · bat · chip · lean

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pit — in a race
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chip — for betting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pit — a hole
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bat — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. lean — thin
  22. club — for golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. lean — to bend

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