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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: season · wake · object · row · deal · chip · bound · pop

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bound — tied together
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — to visit
  7. row — a line
  8. chip — for betting
  9. deal — to handle
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — soda
  15. object — to protest
  16. bound — obliged
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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