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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 116 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: object · season · bowl · chip · face · bay · row · bound

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. object — a thing
  4. face — to confront
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. row — a line
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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