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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: fan · rule · bound · swing · mouse · stand · mate · chip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bound — tied together
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rule — a law
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chip — to eat
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. swing — in golf

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