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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — clothes
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chip — for betting
  13. root — of a word
  14. swing — in golf
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. root — the cause
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — of water
  20. mark — a grade
  21. swing — to play on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chip — to eat

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