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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · cell · pit · bowl · bound · chip

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — for betting

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