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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: mate · ground · chip · band · bound · bowl · lean · perch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — a position
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lean — thin
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — obliged
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chip — in a computer

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