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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: wind · suit · pop · chair · toast · pound · saw · charge

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — soda
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — a price
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — in control
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chair — a leader

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