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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 120 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: firm · mark · band · chip · key · last · tear · racket

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — steady
  7. last — final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — from crying
  11. key — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — for betting
  21. band — a ring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. band — a music group

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