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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: lean · chip · wound · pound · mug · pop · cabinet · track

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — to bend
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lean — thin
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mug — a face
  23. track — a path
  24. wound — an injury

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