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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bound — tied together
  10. shower — to wash
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. shower — rain
  18. rock — music
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — not warm

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