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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.

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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: stick · file · row · chip · ground · pound · rock · net

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. net — after costs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. row — to paddle
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pound — a weight
  8. file — a tool
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — a position
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. file — a document
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — in sport

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