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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. band — a ring
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. band — a music group
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lean — thin

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