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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: racket · object · bound · game · rule · face · chip · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to confront
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. game — a match
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — a thing
  17. rule — government
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — certain
  20. face — part of the head
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bound — tied together
  24. pound — to hit hard

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