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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — a lid
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. chip — for betting
  6. swing — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bound — certain
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — of ice
  22. net — for catching
  23. snap — to click
  24. chip — to eat

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