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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. can — a tin
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hand — help
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — rain
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hand — in cards
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. deal — a big deal

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