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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: lash · club · chip · cabinet · pass · lean · degree · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. degree — an amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — for betting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — from a university
  19. club — a group
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chip — in a computer

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