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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pop — soda
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. roll — a cake
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — a list
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pop — music

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