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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 120 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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitch — completely
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. club — for golf
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — the season
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bound — tied together
  18. band — a music group
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — a group
  21. row — to paddle
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fall — to drop

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