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

Word bank: pitch · pound · pop · leaves · wind · chip · toast · plane

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — to visit
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chip — to eat
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. pop — music
  10. toast — bread
  11. pop — soda
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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