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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — the amount
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a music group
  17. content — happy
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. band — a ring

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