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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — to bear
  9. band — a music group
  10. land — to come down
  11. track — a song
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a path
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. land — a country

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