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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — an illness
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. firm — decided
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bass — low music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mug — a face
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — the fish
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cold — the Cold War

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