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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: fine · spell · pound · bound · chip · land · press · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fine — all right
  3. bound — tied together
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — letters
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — magic
  23. chip — for betting
  24. press — to push

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