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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. chip — for betting
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — a measure
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — to eat
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — farmland
  23. deal — to handle
  24. band — a ring

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