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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: deal · chip · pound · roll · race · pitcher · object · land

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. land — a country
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. roll — a cake
  6. race — a contest
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — to eat
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. object — an aim
  16. race — the arms race
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — a list
  19. chip — for betting
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — an agreement

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