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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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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. face — part of the head
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. deal — to handle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to confront
  22. band — a music group
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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