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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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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pop — soda
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — music
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. key — the most important part
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pop — music
  24. key — in music

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