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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — to be able to
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — for a computer

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