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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — to eat
  7. band — a music group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a ring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — size or range

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