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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — an aim
  5. rash — hasty
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. object — a thing
  15. rash — a series
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. spring — the season
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — tied together
  21. spring — of water
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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