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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. band — a ring
  5. spell — a short time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. band — a music group
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. spell — letters
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. kick — in football

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