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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. key — in music
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — a company
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — the tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. firm — steady

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