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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: game · safe · chip · can · saw · stand · bound · bear

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a match
  23. bound — tied together
  24. safe — out of danger

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