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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. club — for dancing
  5. firm — a company
  6. lean — to bend
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. club — for golf
  10. chip — to eat
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. perch — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. firm — steady
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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