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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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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: pass · sharp · game · mug · roll · hide · chip · pound

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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. pass — a permit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mug — a face
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. roll — a list
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chip — in a computer

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