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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: bound · bark · jam · chip · mouse · cue · fall · content

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cue — for pool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — the season

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