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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bound — certain
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bound — obliged

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