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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · band · can · chip · spell · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — for betting
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spell — magic
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a music group

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