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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. band — a ring
  9. clip — to cut
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. key — in music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. band — a music group
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — a video
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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