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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 · mouse · bound · game · saw · date · bear · lean

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a match
  3. lean — thin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bear — to put up with

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