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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — for betting
  6. band — a music group
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. band — a ring
  10. craft — a skill
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mug — a face
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. capital — money
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a city
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — boats

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