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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · pound · cap · pitcher · season · bear · track · row

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. track — a song
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. season — in sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — of the year
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chip — for betting

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