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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: shower · pitcher · rest · bound · snap · present · track · chip

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — obliged
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — to eat
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — a gift
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chip — in a computer

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