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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · drill · leaves · pass · chip · game · fan · pit

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chip — for betting
  14. drill — army training
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — the tool

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