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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. sharp — clever
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. track — a song
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of a king
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. band — a music group
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. charge — in control
  14. chip — for betting
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. charge — electricity
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — to keep track
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. track — a path
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fork — in a road

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