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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — there
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rash — a series
  12. bound — certain
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. present — the time now
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. snap — to click
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — tied together

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