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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. rule — a law
  4. pop — soda
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — for digging
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — certain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bound — obliged

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