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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 116 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — a group
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rule — a law
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — the animal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. branch — a division
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — certain
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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