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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: stick · chip · pop · bore · band · racket · lean · patient

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pop — soda
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pop — music
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. band — a music group
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — to drill

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