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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. chip — to eat
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — for betting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. band — a music group
  9. court — of a king
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — of law
  12. march — the month
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pass — a permit
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. march — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. band — a rubber band

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