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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. court — for sport
  5. land — to come down
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. suit — to fit
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. chip — to eat
  11. kick — in football
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. court — of a king
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. band — a music group

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