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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. march — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. march — the month
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. scale — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chip — to eat
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wind — moving air

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