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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 · fall · can · spring · scale · chip · kid · fork

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spring — the season
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kid — child
  8. can — a tin
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bound — certain
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — in music
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kid — to tease
  19. scale — size or range
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — tied together

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