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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: root · wake · cap · land · key · pound · chip · pop

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chip — for betting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a word
  7. land — to come down
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pop — to visit
  11. land — a country
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — in music
  15. root — the cause
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. land — ground
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pound — to hit hard

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