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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: pound · mark · deal · chip · spring · chair · wound · firm

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spring — a coil
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — a company
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spring — of water
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — a trace
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. chair — to sit on

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