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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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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: chip · wake · pound · file · bowl · fine · bound · tear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a document
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bound — certain
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a line of people

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