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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. present — a gift
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. drill — army training
  13. present — there
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. present — the time now
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — in a computer

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