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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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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: rock · toast · cold · lean · pound · bowl · chip · sharp

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pound — a weight
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chip — for betting
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. toast — bread
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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