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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. key — for a lock

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