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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — a lid
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. band — a music group
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — help
  20. chip — for betting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — in football

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