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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: cell · jam · bank · bark · wound · bound · pop · chip

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chip — to eat
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — soda
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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