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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · band · jam · wave · squash · mine · date

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — for digging
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — to crush
  13. band — a ring
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bark — to shout
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. chip — for betting
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a music group

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