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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: chip · fan · ball · scale · shower · mouse · stand · band

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a ring
  3. shower — rain
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. band — a music group
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ball — a dance
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — on your feet

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