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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — the fish
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. band — a ring
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ball — a great time
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — a country

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