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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pop — music
  6. spring — the season
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — of water
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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