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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 120 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: band · foot · ground · firm · mate · bound · chair · chip

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — certain
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chip — to eat
  9. firm — decided
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ground — a position
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mate — a friend
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — tied together
  16. band — a music group
  17. mate — a partner
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chair — a leader

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