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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: jam · hide · deal · chip · pound · chair

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chip — for betting
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. deal — to handle

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