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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. press — to push
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. content — happy
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wound — an injury
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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