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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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Word bank
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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: pop · fan · bat · root · chip · bowl · tube · bound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — of a word
  8. bound — tied together
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pop — music
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fan — to cool the air

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