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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bound — certain
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. field — for 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