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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. file — a document
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a music group
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bass — the fish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. file — a tool
  23. chip — for betting
  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