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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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Word bank
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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: last · bound · stick · hand · fan · pop · chip · deal

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — soda
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — to go on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — for betting
  11. last — final
  12. pop — to visit
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. last — finally
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pop — music

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