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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: club · chip · wound · toast · pound · deal · rash · cue

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — a series
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — a signal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for golf
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. toast — bread
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wound — an injury

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