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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: dip · content · pop · chair · pound · can · game · tear

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. game — a match
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. game — wild animals
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — to be able to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — music
  19. content — the amount
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — happy
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. can — a tin

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