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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — high quality
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bank — for money
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bank — of a river
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. band — a ring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fine — all right
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bank — for money

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