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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bound — certain
  11. drill — army training
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — a container
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bank — for money
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bound — tied together
  24. fork — to eat with

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