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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 120 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: cap · chip · pound · mug · pop · kick · deal · saw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mug — a face
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pop — soda
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. kick — in football
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cap — a lid
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — for betting

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