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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a ring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. row — a line
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. band — a music group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. object — an aim
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — a contest
  17. object — to protest
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — low music
  24. lean — to rest against

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