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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a path
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. track — to keep track
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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