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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 116 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 · deal · rule · race · chip · band · club · staff

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. staff — a stick
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — decided
  9. chip — for betting
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — a group
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for dancing
  14. band — a music group
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. firm — steady
  17. race — the arms race
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rule — government
  21. club — for golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — a law
  24. chip — to eat

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