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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: chip · bat · scale · hand · bound · bore · pound · pop

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bound — certain
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pop — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. pound — a weight
  24. hand — part of the body

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