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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chip — to eat
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — decided

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