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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: chip · pound · snap · shower · rest · present · racket · deal

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to click
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — to eat
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. shower — to wash
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — rain
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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