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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — for money
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. current — of water
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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