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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. track — to keep track
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. band — a music group
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chip — to eat
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chip — for betting
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — a song

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