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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — for sport
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rule — a law
  13. craft — boats
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pop — music
  18. rule — government
  19. court — of law
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. rule — to rule out

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