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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 120 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: bank · rock · board · chip · object · bound · race · mug

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rock — a stone
  3. object — to protest
  4. race — a contest
  5. rock — music
  6. race — humankind
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mug — a face
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — an aim
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — a thing
  23. bound — obliged
  24. race — the arms race

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