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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. court — of a king
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — obliged
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — for sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. chip — to eat
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. court — of law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pound — to hit hard

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