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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 · last · chip · present · shower · pop · club · fine

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. last — to go on
  2. present — there
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — soda
  9. present — the time now
  10. fine — all right
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. club — a group
  15. pop — music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fine — high quality
  23. present — a gift
  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