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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — rain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — of the year
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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