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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: drill · cap · chip · pass · band · perch · wind · pop

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — army training
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a ring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pass — a permit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pop — soda
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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