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

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pit — a hole
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pop — soda
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. march — music
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — for digging
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — in a race

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