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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a dance
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — of a river
  20. file — a tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — for money

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