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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mug — a face
  5. bound — tied together
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — obliged
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bound — certain
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — a division
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. deal — a big deal

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