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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — a container
  4. wind — moving air
  5. band — a ring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. tube — the underground
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — soda
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. bore — to drill
  18. band — a music group
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bore — to tire
  22. board — to get on
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — a flat piece

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