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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · ball · chip · bay · mate · march · bound · game

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bound — tied together
  4. march — the month
  5. fall — to drop
  6. march — music
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — certain
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a great time
  17. march — the month
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — a match
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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