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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — a path
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bound — obliged
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pop — soda

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