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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pound — a weight
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — to shout

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