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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: firm · bore · chip · mug · kid · deal · pound · can

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kid — child
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — to tease
  15. firm — decided
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. can — a tin
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. deal — a big deal

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