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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · club · present · bore · bound · pit · chip · squash

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. squash — the sport
  3. present — there
  4. club — for golf
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pop — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bound — certain
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — to visit
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bore — to tire
  24. club — a group

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