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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: press · pound · bound · wind · chip · object · ball · pitcher

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — an aim
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — certain
  17. press — newspapers
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pound — a weight

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