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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — for betting
  6. last — to go on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — tied together
  10. swing — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. last — finally
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. suit — clothes
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bound — obliged
  19. swing — in golf
  20. last — final
  21. mark — a trace
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a grade

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