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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — to recline
  24. current — electric

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