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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: bass · leaves · pit · chip · ruler · cold · bound · shower

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bass — low music
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bound — certain
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pit — in a race
  20. shower — rain
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bound — obliged

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