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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. net — after costs
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — for catching
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bore — to tire
  14. ground — a position
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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