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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bound — certain
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — the fish
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bass — low music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mug — a face
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — the instrument

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