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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. band — a music group
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. band — a ring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rush — hurry

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