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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. row — a line
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — electric
  7. row — to paddle
  8. tube — the underground
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — to eat
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. band — a ring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. march — music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tube — a container
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — for betting
  23. march — the month
  24. row — a quarrel

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