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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mine — for digging
  15. cap — a lid
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. band — a music group
  24. mouse — the animal

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