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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: rock · wind · pound · bark · cap · coach · chip · lean

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rock — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cap — of ice

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