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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 116 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: mark · bound · pop · wind · cap · firm · chip · rush

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — of ice
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — soda
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rush — hurry
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a trace
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wind — moving air

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