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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rule — government
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. band — a music group
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a ring
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rule — a law
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. club — for golf
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. club — a group

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