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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — a series
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. charge — a price
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. charge — in control
  17. rash — hasty
  18. scale — in music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. charge — electricity
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chip — for betting
  24. prune — to trim

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