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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. present — there
  19. band — a music group
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. charge — in control
  24. drill — army training

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