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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: pound · chip · bay · last · firm · wound · can · rock

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. firm — a company
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — finally
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — to eat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. last — to go on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. last — final
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — decided
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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