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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a ring
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tube — a container
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tube — the underground
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mate — a partner

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