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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 · mark · chest · pop · club · lash · pound · cap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — a group
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — soda
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cap — of ice
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — a trace
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rock — music

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