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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bound — certain
  6. court — for sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chip — for betting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. court — of a king
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chip — to eat

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