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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: stick · arm · cabinet · present · chip · bound · bear · ground

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. present — the time now
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ground — the earth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. present — a gift
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — there
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. chip — to eat

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