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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: pound · pop · snap · dip · bark · stem · rule · ball

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. snap — to click
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rule — government
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pop — soda

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