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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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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 · rash · club · pound · can · fan · mouse · cell

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cell — a phone
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — the animal

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