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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. chip — for betting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. snap — to click
  9. band — a music group
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. band — a ring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — a position
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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