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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — for catching
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bound — certain
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — to shout
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. net — after costs
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — to eat

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