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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: bay · rock · mug · pound · drill · march · tear · chip

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. tear — from crying
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mug — to rob
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — music
  20. march — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a face

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