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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — of a word
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. snap — to click
  10. pit — in a race
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — to eat
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — of a plant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — for money
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ball — a dance
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cap — a hat

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