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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: drill · bowl · bound · chip · pound · last · suit · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pound — a weight
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. chip — to eat
  6. drill — army training
  7. bound — obliged
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. last — finally
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bound — certain
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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