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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: pass · ground · bay · bound · season · mouse · chip · fork

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. season — in sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bound — certain
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chip — for betting

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