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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a ring
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — to eat
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — crushed

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