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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 120 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: pop · stick · mark · sharp · chair · pound · kick · band

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a music group
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pound — a weight
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mark — a trace
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mark — a grade
  19. sharp — clever
  20. band — a ring
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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