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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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — tied together
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. chip — for betting
  14. net — after costs
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. net — for catching
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — in sport

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