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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 124 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. firm — steady
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. firm — decided
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — a series
  22. capital — money
  23. chip — for betting
  24. band — a music group

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