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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: saw · cue · bound · pop · roll · fall · chip · net

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cue — a signal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chip — to eat
  14. net — for catching
  15. roll — a list
  16. cue — for pool
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cue — a hint

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