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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — a series
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — hasty
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — a thing
  17. chip — to eat
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — of the year
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bear — to put up with
  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