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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: suit · pound · chip · rash · chest · ground · bowl · mark

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chest — a box
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. suit — in cards

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