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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. kick — in football
  3. court — of a king
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — a position
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. chip — for betting
  10. court — for sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spring — of water
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — thin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. lean — to bend

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