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

Word bank: chip · cell · roll · ruler · band · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a music group
  10. chip — to eat
  11. roll — a list
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in biology
  18. ruler — a monarch

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