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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: drill · season · band · chip · nail · present · jam · leaves

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. band — a music group
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. band — a ring
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — there
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. drill — a practice
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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