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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: bound · staff · swing · rule · ball · chip · band · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. staff — employees
  3. band — a music group
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bound — obliged
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a ring
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — a stick
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — in golf
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bound — tied together

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