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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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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 · saw · board · chip · band · bank · pop · mouse

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a ring
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. band — a music group
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. board — a flat piece

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