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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bound — tied together
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. chip — to eat
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — music
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — in football
  20. stand — to bear
  21. drill — a practice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stand — for spectators

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