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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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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: band · fan · firm · race · net · chip · calf · bound

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. net — for catching
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. firm — decided
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — a company
  17. race — humankind
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. race — the arms race
  23. chip — to eat
  24. net — in sport

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