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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: wake · chip · mug · cell · fine · kid · mark · pound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — a weight
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a grade
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — all right
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mug — to rob
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — a penalty

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