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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. band — a music group
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bound — certain
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cap — a lid
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — obliged
  17. key — in music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — for betting
  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