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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bound — certain
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — steady
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — a company
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. firm — decided

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