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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: tube · row · band · court · kick · leaves · deal · chip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. band — a music group
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kick — in football
  9. chip — to eat
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. row — a line
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. court — of a king
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. row — to paddle
  23. band — a ring
  24. deal — an agreement

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