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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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