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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 · bound · chip · pass · deal · kid · pound · mine

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pound — a weight
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bound — certain
  12. chip — for betting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — to tease
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kid — child

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