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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.

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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: game · ball · band · chip · mark · current · calf · rule

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a match
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rule — a law
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chip — for betting
  24. game — a kind of play

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