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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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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chip — to eat
  3. mate — a friend
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — for money
  8. firm — a company
  9. spring — a coil
  10. firm — decided
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. firm — steady
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. object — to protest
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spring — the season
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. chip — in a computer

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