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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. file — a line of people
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chip — to eat
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a document
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. tear — from crying

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