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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: mug · mark · chip · leaves · cell · bound · row · deal

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a line
  7. mug — to rob
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bound — tied together
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. row — to paddle
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — a trace

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