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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 · firm · bat · toast · ball · prune · chip · cabinet

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ball — a great time
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — steady
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — a company
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. prune — to trim
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. band — a ring
  24. firm — decided

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