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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. current — of water
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — happening now
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. band — a music group
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — the animal

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