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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 120 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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — obliged
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bound — certain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chip — for betting
  19. clip — to cut
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tear — to rip
  24. drill — army training

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