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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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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: bowl · lean · stick · drill · chip · mouse · pound · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. chip — to eat
  16. band — a music group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lean — thin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. band — a rubber band

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