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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bass — low music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bank — of a river
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — child
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. capital — money
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — a city
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wake — before a funeral

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