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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spring — of water
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. spring — a coil
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bound — tied together
  24. can — to be able to

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