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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. firm — steady
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pop — to visit
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. last — to go on
  15. pop — music
  16. firm — a company
  17. pop — soda
  18. last — finally
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. can — a tin
  23. firm — decided
  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