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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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Word bank
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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: leaves · rock · tube · pound · pop · lean · sharp · club

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — soda
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. club — for golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — the underground
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. club — a group
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pop — music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pound — a weight

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