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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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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 · racket · club · hide · chip · wound · bound · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. club — for dancing
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for golf
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bound — certain
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — a group
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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