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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spring — of water
  16. charge — in control
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. chip — for betting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spring — a coil
  23. charge — a price
  24. pound — to hit hard

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