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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 120 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 · club · snap · chip · kid · season · pass · suit

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. kid — child
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pass — a permit
  20. season — of the year
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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