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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — for betting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. content — happy
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — a position
  14. content — the amount
  15. court — for sport
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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