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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: chip · fine · pound · foot · roll · bear · bore · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chip — to eat
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bore — to drill
  18. shower — rain
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to tire
  24. roll — a list

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