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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hand — help
  14. bound — certain
  15. rule — a law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pound — a weight

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