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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: chip · deal · hand · bear · stick · cap · hide · pound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — help
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — for betting
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bear — the animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — 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