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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — for betting
  4. cold — an illness
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bound — tied together
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bound — certain
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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