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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: lie · chip · cap · band · rock · spell · bark · content

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. spell — magic
  3. content — the amount
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. band — a music group
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. content — happy
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — to recline

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