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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. bound — certain
  2. game — wild animals
  3. object — a thing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a hat
  9. net — after costs
  10. perch — the fish
  11. chip — for betting
  12. game — a match
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — in sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. object — to protest
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a lid
  23. net — for catching
  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