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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. spring — the season
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stock — shares
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — a division
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — of water
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. toast — bread

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